Dynamic instability of thin viscoelastic films under lateral stress

We study the influence of lateral stress on the stability of thin viscoelastic films. The free surface of a deposited film under stress is shown to undergo an instability initiated by an anisotropic diffusion of the polymer molecules. This instability ultimately results in the formation of holes provided that the initial surface fluctuations are larger than a critical value. The latter is found to decrease when increasing the stress. An increase of the holes number density with the stress is therefore predicted. Most interestingly, the holes number density is also predicted to increase when increasing the molecular weight of the polymers. Additionally, we demonstrate that the friction of the substrate suppresses any spatial coherence between holes on large length scales. These predictions explain recent experimental observations made on thin spin-coated polystyrene films [G. Reiter, Nat. Mater. 4, 754 (2005)10.1038/nmat1484].     

ZnO外延膜与蓝宝石衬底的取向偏差及其弯曲变形

采用常压MOCVD方法在Al2O3(00．1)衬底上生长出了高质量ZnO单晶薄膜。由ZnO(00．2)面和Al2O3(00．6)面及ZnO(10．2)面和Al2O3(11．6)面X射线双晶(w／2θ衍射曲线的相对峰位,得到ZnO外延膜的晶格常数及外延层和衬底间的取向差异角。结果表明外延层和衬底在应力作用下产生了取向差和晶格畸变,并且取向倾斜方向与衬底的切割倾角方向一致;高温直接生长的样品的取向差比有低温缓冲层样品更大,晶格畸变也更严重。高温直接生长的样品弯曲半径小而应力更大;实验测量的应力值和理论计算的热应力值之间存在差异,原因主要是晶格失配应力的存在。有缓冲层的样品由于能更好地弛豫晶格失配引入的应力,热应力所占整个残余应力的比例相对更大。     

Polymer self-assembled nano-structures and surface relief gratings induced with laser at 157 nm

Surface relief gratings (SRG) and self-organized nano-structures induced by laser light at 157 nm on the fluoropolymer poly(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl methacrylate) (PTFEMA), films were obtained under well-controlled light exposure conditions. Regular and semi-regular spaced self-organized grating-like structures were created on polymeric films for ∼7.5-100 mJ/cm² laser energy fluence. For lower laser fluence, the surface morphology of light exposed/non-exposed areas exhibited irregular-like structure morphologies, while polymer surface irradiation with energy fluence higher than 150 mJ/cm² causes progressively fading out of the regular patterns. Under the specific experimental conditions, the SRG and self-organization patterning have their origin in the development of a surface thermal instability (Rayleigh's instability), which is resolved itself into regular patterns on the surface of the fluoropolymer film. The thermal instability is due to the explosive polymer surface photo-dissociation at 157 nm and the build up of longitudinal and periodic surface stress, which eventually create the SRG and the self-assembled structures on the polymer.     

Stability of thermoresponsive methylcellulose thin film: x‐ray reflectivity study

Methylcellulose (MC), a thermoreversible polymer, was fabricated as thin films into silicon substrates and characterized by x‐ray reflectivity (XRR) measurements for its stability with time and heating. XRR data from the as‐is thin films showed good agreement with the single‐layer model on top of a substrate from Parratt's formalism. Data fitting showed that the density of the thin films is slightly higher than the reported value by manufacturers. Interface roughness values indicate good wetting of the polymer onto the substrate. Heating the thin films at the phase transition temperatures and quenching them to room temperature showed no significant changes in the thin film parameters before and after heating. This showed the thermal stability and/or thermoreversibility of the film. Diffuse scattering measurements also showed no significant changes in the lateral structure of the film with heating and quenching. XRR measurements done on fabricated thin films stored for a month showed a slight increase in the film thickness which could be due to the hygroscopic nature of the polymer. Vacuum heating of the stored thin films at 100 °C for 1 h slightly decreased the thickness, but it has been found that other parameters such as density and surface/interface roughness show good thermal stability. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermoelastic behavior of a thermoelectric thin-film attached to an infinite elastic substrate

Abstract

This paper examines the thermoelectric behaviour of a thermoelectric thin film bonded to an elastic substrate. A calculation model for thermoelectric thin films is developed based on the singular integral equation method. The interface shear stress is found to exhibit singular behaviour at the ends of the films. Numerical results for the thermal stress distribution in the film and the film/substrate interface are obtained. Effects of film thickness and the substrate to film stiffness ratio on the stress of the film and the stress intensity factor of the interface are identified. The effects of interface electricity conductivity and the elastic–plastic deformation of the film are discussed.     

Effects of dispersion forces in the instability of polymer films

Spontaneous rupture of some polymer films upon heating is commonplace. The very criterion for this instability is the system free energy possessing a negative curvature. Within the framework of full frequency-dependent theory of dispersion forces, we have derived the excess free energy of a typical system---polystyrene film deposited on the silicon substrate. The excess free energy, wavelengths and growth rates are calculate and a comparison is made between the accurate results and the approximate results. It is found that the stability of the film can be tuned by the variation of the thickness of the coating and the retardation effects can be significant sometimes.     

绝缘层上半导体多晶膜激光再结晶临界条件

从理论的角度分析了绝缘衬底对其上面半导体多晶膜激光熔化再结晶过程的影响,发现低导热的绝缘层使产生固-液相变的临界激光功率有明显的降低。用喇曼光谱测量了激光再结晶SOI层中的应力。应力的出现是多晶膜内曾经发生过固-液相变的佐证。从这一思想出发,对LPCVD方法制备的大量SOI样品进行激光再结晶临界条件的研究,证明了忽略绝缘层低热导影响的模型不能解释实验结果,而经过修正的公式则可以较好地拟合实验结果。 关键词：     

Molecular dynamics study on the effects of stamp shape, adhesive energy, and temperature on the nanoimprint lithography process

Molecular dynamics simulations of nanoimprint lithography (NIL) were performed to investigate the effects of three critical process parameters in NIL: stamp shape, adhesive energy between the stamp and polymer film, and imprint temperature. The proposed simulation model of the NIL process consists of an amorphous SiO₂ stamp with a line pattern, an amorphous poly(methylmethacrylate) film, and a Si substrate under the periodic boundary condition in the horizontal direction to simulate a real NIL process imprinting periodical line patterns. The behavior of polymer deformation and the effects of adhesion on pattern transfer were investigated by observing the deformation process, calculating the imprint and separation forces, and analyzing the density and stress distribution inside the polymer film. In addition, their dependency on the process parameters is also discussed with reference to the changes in pattern shape, adhesive energy between the stamp and polymer atoms, and imprint temperature of the polymer film. During the imprint process, the rectangular pattern shows inferior cavity filling and higher stress concentration compared to trapezoidal and triangular patterns because it requires much larger flow and deformation of the polymer film. Low imprint temperature also produces high stress concentration and large imprint force due to the lower fluidity of polymer film. In the separation process, the rectangular pattern generates the largest separation force and causes the most serious defects of the transferred pattern and even the polymer film, while the triangular pattern shows the most satisfactory pattern transfer. In addition, the adhesive energy between the stamp and the polymer film also strongly influences the adhesion between the stamp and the polymer film. Low adhesive energy reduces the separation force of the stamp and transferred pattern defects, and therefore enhances the quality of pattern transfer.     

绝缘层上半导体多晶膜激光再结晶临界条件

从理论的角度分析了绝缘衬底对其上面半导体多晶膜激光熔化再结晶过程的影响, 发现低导热的绝缘层使产生固一液相变的临界激光功率有明显的降低.用喇曼光谱测量了激光再结晶SOI层中的应力. 应力的出现是多晶膜内曾经发生过固一液相的佐证.从这一思想出发, 对LPCVD方法制备的大量SOI 样品进行激光再结晶临界条件的研究, 证明了忽略绝缘层低热导影响的模型不能解释实验结果, 而经过修正的公式则可以较好地拟合实验结果, 关键词：     

Molecular dynamics investigation of deposition and annealing behaviors of Cu atoms onto Cu(0 0 1) substrate

The deposition growth and annealing behaviors of Cu atoms onto Cu(0 0 1) are investigated in atomic scale by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The results indicate that the film grows approximately in a layer-island mode as the incident energy is from 1 to 5 eV, while surface intermixing can be significantly observed at 10 eV. The surface roughness of the film decreases with increasing the incident energy, and the film after annealing becomes smoother and more ordered. These phenomena may be attributed to the enhanced atomic mobility for higher incident energy and thermal annealing. It also indicates that atomic mixing is more significant with increasing both the incident energy and substrate temperature. In addition, the peak-to-peak distances of radial distribution function (RDF) clearly indicate that the films before and after annealing are still fcc structure except for that at the melting temperature of 1375.6 K. After annealing, the film at the melting temperature returns to fcc structure instead of amorphous. Moreover, the residual stress and Poisson ratio of the film are remarkably affected by the thermal annealing. Furthermore, the density of thin film is obviously affected by the substrate temperature and annealing process. Therefore, one can conclude that high incident energy, substrate temperature and thermal annealing could help to enhance the surface morphology and promote the microstructure of the film.     

Instability-driven quantum dots

When a film is strained in two dimensions, it can relax by developing a corrugation in the third dimension. We review here the resulting morphological instability that occurs by surface diffusion, called the Asaro–Tiller–Grinfel'd instability (ATG), especially on the paradigmatic silicon/germanium system. The instability is dictated by the balance between the elastic relaxation induced by the morphological evolution, and its surface energy cost. We focus here on its development at the nanoscales in epitaxial systems when a crystal film is coherently deposited on a substrate with a different lattice parameter, thence inducing epitaxial stresses. It eventually leads to the self-organization of quantum dots whose localization is dictated by the instability long-time dynamics. In these systems, new effects, such as film/substrate wetting or crystalline anisotropy, come into play and lead to a variety of behaviors.     

用3ω法测量非线性KTP晶体各向异性导热系数

 非线性KTP（KTiOPO₄）晶体的各向异性导热性能对于部分消除热应力以改善倍频效果具有重要作用。建立了3ω法测试系统,介绍了其测量各向异性材料的原理。测试了SiO₂薄膜/Si衬底试样的导热系数,验证了该实验方法及系统的合理性。应用此方法测试得到KTP晶体沿径向和倍频方向（轴向）的导热系数,得到其不均匀度为0.737。结果验证了KTP晶体导热系数的各向异性。设计的实验系统可以有效测量各向异性晶体的导热性能。     

Control of birefringence using polymer as cladding layer in optical planar waveguides

We demonstrate theoretically that a polymer layer, when used as cladding layer for silica-based planar optical waveguides on a silicon substrate, can substantially reduce birefringence. Multilayer planar optical waveguides usually exhibit stresses that are caused by thermal-induced strains that originate from the bonding of the layers, in addition to intrinsic strains. Effect of various intrinsic properties on thermal stress as a function of thickness of the guiding layer is studied. It is shown that it is possible to achieve the thermal stress free and, hence, the stress-induced birefringence free waveguide devices by proper waveguide designs.     

Photoacoustic monitoring of thermal wave interference effects during the formation of polymeric thin films from solutions

In this work, the potential of photoacoustic (PA) technique in the analysis of the formation of polymer films by evaporation from aqueous solutions is explored. Experiments are performed using different aqueous volume fractions of two different polymers, PEDT:PSS and a white liquid glue. The liquid sample is deposited on a metallic substrate attached to a modified PA cell that allows the monitoring of the evaporation process and development of the polymeric film. It is shown that when the thickness of the sample is of the order of the thermal diffusion length, maxima and minima of the PA signal, due to thermal wave interference effects, are observed. In the last stage of the process, the PA signal reaches a stable value which depends on the thickness of the formed film. The kinetics of the polymeric film formation, the dependence of the evaporation rate of the solvent as well as the final thickness of the polymeric film is discussed. These results can be useful in establishing a methodology for the photothermal monitoring and thermal characterization of the development of polymeric films from solutions.     

Two hardening mechanisms in single crystal thin films studied by discrete dislocation plasticity

Two-dimensional discrete dislocation plasticity simulations of the evolution of thermal stress in single crystal thin films on a rigid substrate are used to study size effects. The relation between the residual stress and the dislocation structure in the films after cooling is analyzed using dislocation dynamics. A boundary layer characterized by a high stress gradient and a high dislocation density is found close to the impenetrable film-substrate interface. There is a material-dependent threshold film thickness above which the dislocation density together with the boundary layer thickness and stress state are independent of film thickness. In such films the stress outside the boundary layer is on average very low, so that the film-thickness-independent boundary layer is responsible for the size effect. A larger size effect is found for films thinner than the threshold thickness. The origin of this size effect stems from nucleation activity being hindered by the geometrical constraint of the small film thickness, so that by decreasing film thickness, the dislocation density decreases while the stress in the film increases. The size dependence is only described by a Hall–Petch type relation for films thicker than the threshold value.     

LBO晶体上1 064，532 nm倍频增透膜的镀制及性能分析

 用电子束蒸发沉积方法在X切LBO（X-LBO）晶体上镀制了两种不同膜系结构的1 064和532 nm倍频增透膜，其中一种膜系结构为基底/ZrO₂/Y₂O₃/Al₂O₃/SiO₂/空气，另一种为基底/0.5Al₂O₃/ZrO₂/Y₂O₃/Al₂O₃/SiO₂/空气，两种膜系结构的主要差别在于有无氧化铝过渡层。测量了薄膜的反射率光谱曲线，发现两种增透膜在1 064和532 nm处的反射率均小于0.5％，实际镀制结果与理论设计曲线的差异主要是由材料折射率的变化引起的。且对样品在空气环境中进行了温度为473 K的退火处理，结果发现两种膜系结构均表现了较优异的光学性能，氧化铝过渡层的加入使薄膜具有强的热应力性能。     

准分子激光增强高分子材料粘着力的机理研究

 由热方程计算激光与液体薄膜材料相互作用时的温度场,分析高分子材料表面熔化及材料表面液体膜汽化产生的材料的表面粗化;近一步分析高分子的断裂、F原子 替代等光化学反应;从而提出激光增强高分子材料的粘着力的表面粗化和光化学反应的机理。     

Temperature dependence of low loss polymeric AWG

We investigate on the variation of loss and temperature dependence of a polymeric arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) depending on its substrate, by fabricating 16-channel polymeric AWGs with various substrate conditions. Insertion loss for a polymeric AWG on a silicon substrate is measured as low as 3.1 dB. The temperature-dependent wavelength shift for a polymeric AWG detached from the substrate is maintained within 0.1 nm from 20 to 80 °C. But we observe a degradation of insertion loss and a little instability in wavelength characteristics both for the detached polymeric AWG and for a polymeric AWG on a polymer substrate. We investigate on those optical properties of the polymeric AWGs based on measured thermal expansion properties of the polymers.     

Fabrication of alignment layer free flexible liquid crystal cells using thermal nanoimprint lithography

In this article, thermal nanoimprint lithography (thermal-NIL) has been utilized to transfer the microgroove pattern onto the plastic substrate. Without coating alignment polymer, the microgrooves on the flexible substrates can align liquid crystals (LCs) directly. The flexible LC cell is shown to maintain comparable electro-optical properties while bending. The plastic film and the alignment layer integrated into an alignment substrate could effectively prevent cracks of the additional polymer alignment layer during the bending process. This method is applicable to the roll-to-roll process to increase the production efficiency.